Iran sends toy drone to Obama

Jan 29 - An Iranian toy company is sending a pink replica of a U.S. spy plane captured in December to U.S. President Barack Obama. Lindsey Parietti reports.

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TV AND WEB RESTRICTIONS~**NO ACCESS BBC PERSIAN TV/VOA PERSIAN NEWS NETWORK (RESTRICTION IMPOSED LOCALLY BY IRANIAN AUTHORITIES)*~
Iran is sending a U.S. drone it captured in December home - with a small makeover.
Mocking requests to return the drone, a local toy company plans to send a miniature pink model of the RQ-170 Sentinel to U.S. President Barack Obama.
(SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) HEAD OF CULTURAL DEPARTMENT OF 'AAYE' COMPANY, SEYYED SAEED HASSAN-POUR, SAYING:
"We wanted for Mr. Obama himself to have these toys and know that Iranians don't leave anyone's requests unanswered. We made the 'RQ' in pink as it is Mr. Obama's favourite colour and we will send it to him via the Swiss embassy on Bahman 12 (February 1)."
State TV broadcast footage of the drone draped in anti-American banners after it was captured last month near the Afghan border.
Iran's Foreign Ministry complained to the UN Security Council about the spy mission and told the U.S. to apologize.
(SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) HEAD OF CULTURAL DEPARTMENT OF 'AAYE' COMPANY, SEYYED SAEED HASSAN-POUR, SAYING:
"We decided to show that we can deal with this issue in a very friendly and peaceful manner and put it in the playful hands of the children of Iran to pursue a 'soft war' with Mr. Obama and the U.S. This was the aim of producing this aircraft."
The toy models will hit the market this week and go for 70,000 rials or $4 U.S. dollars each.
Lindsey Parietti, Reuters

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